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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26311186">A morning snack</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gavranica/pseuds/Gavranica'>Gavranica</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Maleficent (Disney Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Banter, Chapter 2 might not be for those with sensitive stomach, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nest sharing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:40:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,234</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26311186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gavranica/pseuds/Gavranica</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Diaval always brings a morning snack to his mistress. Until one day he doesn't.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Diaval &amp; Maleficent (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Set between the movies, after "The heart of the Moors".</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>_____________________</p><p>For years, each morning upon awakening, Maleficent would find a little snack next to her nest. </p><p><br/>Diaval was, true to his original form, an early riser. He would always awaken at the crack of dawn, and he would leave his slumbering mistress to perform his morning rituals. Preening, cleaning,  foraging, checking if anything was amiss, listening to other birds chattering…and always, without a single exception since the day he had started doing it, bringing her a little something to sweeten the start of the day.</p><p><br/>In his bird form, he couldn't carry much, so it would be a few berries, or nuts, a small apple or a plum. But if he'd spent the night in his human form- an occurence which, with years, had been becoming gradually more and more often, until at some point it became his preferable form to sleep in- then, he'd return with a bowl of fruits or nuts or honey, and another bowl with fresh water. Even in winter days, he'd always find something sweet, or at least edible enough for her.</p><p><br/>Maleficent was puzzled at first, but accepted the small token of kindness without question. Well, except the worms and beetles he also tried to bring, in the earliest days, but after the second time she had left them uneaten, he learned not to bother with them.</p><p><br/>With time, it became a habit, finding his treats next to her first thing in the morning and enjoying them in peace and solitude. He was rarely present himself when she'd awaken. He would bring his treats, silent like an owl (he would detest the comparison) while she still slept, and disappear until she'd call for him. </p><p><br/>So it became an ordinary part of her morning. Like wrapping her hair or washing her face. She didn't think about it much, and she certainly didn't spend time musing over it, or appreciating it. It was just... there.</p><p><br/>Which is why it came like a surprise- a shock, if she was to be honest with herself- how much she’d missed it this morning, when the first sunlight bathed their nest, and the snack bowls next to it were empty. </p><p><br/>And she wasn’t the only one to be disturbed by the abrupt change in the morning ritual. Pixies fluttered around her nervously, while she was picking hazelnuts. The wallerbogs were uncharacteristically serious and quiet when she leaned down to fill her bowl with cool spring water. The water nymphs didn’t dance today; they remained in the streams, but she was aware that they were looking pointedly at her. Everything had gone quiet when she had emerged from the rowan tree instead of Diaval, and the silence was filled with confusion. She could feel the myriad of anxious eyes observing her from the trees and bushes and shadows. But nobody dared to approach her. </p><p><br/>It was Balthasar who finally did. </p><p><br/>“<em>What happened to him</em>?” he asked in the language of his folk, towering over her, yet managing to convey such gentleness and worry that Maleficent lost every inclination of letting some of her steam off by snapping at him. But she wasn’t in the mood for talking either.</p><p><br/>“Make sure that there is no excessive noise around the Fairy mound today”, she answered and went back for her tree, a bowl of hazelnuts in one hand, a bowl of water in another. Rather than flying back, she walked, so she wouldn’t spill any water. </p><p><br/>How did that impossible bird manage to find the patience to do this every morning, for seventeen years?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Fun fact: the animals, birds included, can and do get drunk on overripe fruits as they ferment.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>____________________________________</p><p>Diaval awoke to a thundering headache and a sickening lurch of his stomach. </p><p><br/>He barely had time to take in his surroundings and take notice of an empty basket next to him. He grabbed it and made a good use of it as a barf bucket.</p><p><br/>He hoped Maleficent won’t throw a hissy fit over the destruction of a perfectly good fruit basket.</p><p><br/>Even more so, he fervently hoped she wasn’t here to witness his humiliation. He didn’t need her mocking him any more than her reprimanding him. He wasn’t up to it at the moment. </p><p><br/>He was still heaving with his head mostly in the basket when he realized that the sun was high in the sky, judging by the position from which the light was coming in the nest, and that he’d slept most of the morning away. </p><p><br/>He’d slept all of his <em>duties</em> away.</p><p><br/>Panicking, he tried to scramble up to his unsteady feet, but the moment he lift his head up, a dizziness overcame him, so strong that he lost the sense of up and down. He collapsed back on the straw and wool.</p><p><br/><em>Oh goodness, this won’t stop</em>, he thought when another wave of nausea had him retching again. His stomach hurt, his head hurt, but most of all, his pride. </p><p><br/>She had been <em>right</em>.</p><p><br/>He would never live this down.</p><p><br/>Rolling on his back, he closed his eyes and ran a cold hand over his sweaty face. How much spirit can be in a few overripe shadowberries, anyway? Yes, he had been aware that he shouldn’t have had that last berry or two. Yes, Maleficent had warned him. Yes, he’d gotten a bit tipsy on them before, but never like this, never to the point of a debilitating hangover. Yes, the summer had been dry and the autumn was chilly and the berries had already froze and thawed a time or two and he had known that the spirit in the shadowberries had to be strong because of that. Yes, he had been ridiculously foolish. He had long lived past the age of an unexperienced fledgling. Yes, he should have known better. </p><p><br/>Yes, she was never going to let him hear the end of it.</p><p><br/>Where was she, anyway? </p><p><br/><em>Well, somewhere where she doesn’t have to suffer the stench and the noise and the look of you, such as you are now. You idiot bird</em>.</p><p><br/>The thought made him both immensely relieved and inexplicably sad. And the confused thoughts wouldn’t stop swarming his barely functional mind.</p><p><br/><em>You failed her.</em> </p><p><br/>The relief was considerably diminished.<br/><em>And one thing she expects of you is not to fail her. You know that. She told you that much.</em><br/>What was she going to tell him when she comes back? How mad is she going to be? She would be within rights not to talk to him at all for the time being. What was he doing last evening, once the was intoxicated enough to lose all memory? Did he say something unbecoming of him, or, oh please no, did he <em>do</em> something he shouldn’t have? </p><p><br/>And of course, he failed to do his morning patrol, and to bring her something to eat. She was so thin, so delicate, despite her strength; she often forgot to eat at all, once she’d become engrossed in the day’s events, and he took some comfort at knowing that she had at least started the day with something resembling a meal. Knowing her, today she’d likely fast the entire day, angry as she certainly is bound to be, and it was completely his fault.</p><p><br/>Swallowing back the bile, he again tried to find his footing in hope to at least clean the place up a little bit before she comes back, and again, it resulted in him retching in the basket again.</p><p><br/>When he was done, he curled up in the nest, a whimper escaping him. How much contents could a human stomach hold, anyway? This had to be close to a stop.  </p><p><br/>For a while, he just lay quietly.</p><p><br/>Goodness, he was thirsty. Licking his lips, he automatically looked to where he would usually deposit Maleficent’s breakfast bowls. Of course, they would be empty now, for the first time in seventeen years. The thought was like a punch to the guts. </p><p><br/>He was a complete failure.</p><p><br/>Then, he thought to see something simmering in one of the bowls. </p><p><br/>He squinted his eyes. The blasted sun was so unbearably bright today; he couldn’t fathom why. It must have been a trick of the light.</p><p><br/>Still, he tilted his head to get a better look.<br/>When the world stopped spinning, he realized that his eyes were not deceiving him.</p><p><br/>Both bowls were full. One with water, one with hazelnuts. </p><p><br/>Feeling very stupid, he grinned widely, despite the nausea and the headache and the dizziness. His eyes felt hot and stingy; yet he laughed hoarsely, heartily. He felt very silly. Giddy, actually. <em>It must be the hangover.</em><br/>His chest feeling considerably lighter, he reached for the water bowl. The nuts would have to wait, but once his stomach settles, they would be the most amazing feast he has ever had in his life.</p><p><br/>His hands were trembling. The attempt of bringing the water to his lips was barely successful. He spilled some, drank some, and decided to lay the bowl down before he drops it. But he was still thirsty. Leaning down, he breathed heavily, chuckling every now and then. The chuckles occasionally sounded suspiciously like sobs. </p><p><br/>Finally, he closed his eyes. He was simply too ill to drink, eat or clean himself. He was sticky with sweat, but he was feeling cold; little wonder, because he was naked. His hands felt icy and he was shivering. But it didn’t matter. She took her time to care for him, to bring him water and food. For once, he was cared for. </p><p><br/>The thought made him let out another sobbing chuckle.</p><p><br/>He was snapped out of his semi-coherent musings by a rustle of powerful wings at his side and a sudden lack of sunlight as a shadow fell over him.</p><p><br/>Alarmed, his eyes snapped open and his head up, and he regretted the sudden movement immediately. He seized the barf basket, but this time he managed to end up only with ugly, dry retches. Knowing that Maleficent was watching him, however, made him feel suddenly hot with embarrassment. </p><p><br/>“Good”, he heard her say. “I have just cleaned that.”</p><p><br/>Oh. Really. The basket was clean, he noticed only now. How long has she been standing there? How long had he been lying down with his eyes closed? It felt like a few moments to him.</p><p><br/>“How?” he croaked. Goodness, his voice was so hoarse, it was unrecognizable. </p><p><br/>“Magic”, she said dryly. Oh. Of course. </p><p><br/>He didn’t dare to look up to meet her eyes. Rather, he closed his own and lowered his head down again. His heart was beating very loud, very fast. It was making his headache worse. He wished she would just scorn him and yell at him now, so they could be done with it. </p><p><br/>But she didn’t. Instead, one thin, strong hand gently and very slowly propped him up to a semi-reclining position, and another brought water to his lips. “Drink. Don’t complain, just drink.”</p><p><br/>He obeyed. The water tasted funny, bittersweet, but so wonderfully cold; even the embarrassment of being handled like a hatchling couldn’t overpower the sheer physical relief he felt when he drank. </p><p><br/>“You fool of a bird”, she muttered, bringing a wet cloth to his face and placing it against his forehead. It made wonders to the pounding in his skull. A sigh of relief escaped him, more so as she didn’t seem to act angrily. Why was she gentle with him now, when he least deserved it? </p><p><br/>“Why didn’t you call for me when you woke up?” her voice was quiet, tired. </p><p><br/>“Couldn’t find my voice.” He swallowed and turned his head away. “Didn’t want you…to see me like this.”</p><p><br/>“My dear, inebriated friend, I saw everything there was to see last night. It’s a little bit of a futile effort at this point.”</p><p><br/>He bit his lip. “I was like this…last night, too?”<br/>“The way you were last night, you are right as rain now. I don’t think there’s a bodily function of yours I haven’t witnessed.”</p><p><br/>He buried his face in his palms.</p><p><br/>“You truly don’t remember anything?”</p><p><br/>“The last thing I remember…” he frowned. “…is my seventh helping of shadowberries.”</p><p><br/>Maleficent’s eyebrow arched. “You know how much I hate when you tell me ‘<em>I told you</em>’? And yet I get to hear that from you every time? Well…”</p><p><br/>“Don’t.”</p><p><br/>“…I told you.”</p><p><br/>“Argh.”</p><p><br/>“Hurts the soul, does it not?”</p><p><br/>“Deserved”, he grumbled and leaned back, meeting her eyes. “I’m sorry, mistress”, he whispered miserably.</p><p><br/>“Ah, it’s easy to be fooled by the spirit in the shadowberries. They haven’t been this ripe in at least a decade.”</p><p><br/>“You warned me”, Diaval rubbed his aching temples. Immediately, she dabbed the sore spots with cold, wet cloth. “I didn’t listen. I failed you, and yet you are here and you are helping me and you are kind…”</p><p><br/>His throat felt stuffed and his eyes burned, so he turned his head away again. When was he going to get some of his self-control back? Both his body and his mind acted out, and he could only hope that he couldn’t possibly sink much lower.</p><p><br/>“Diaval”, Maleficent quickly wiped away the shameful tears that ran down his face, “my melodramatic bird, you didn’t fail me. Perhaps you’ve failed yourself, but not me. And I would be a very poor friend, and a poor mistress, if I would not be here to help that one single soul who had been steadily at my side when I had been at my absolute darkest and worst.“ she patted his shoulder awkwardly. “Even if they are a gluttonous, overconfident fool.”</p><p><br/>That was supposed to comfort him, Diaval knew, but it made him even more overwhelmed. He took the cloth from Maleficent’s hands and hid his face in it, quietly curling up in himself.</p><p><br/>“Calm down.” She stroked his hair back from his forehead.</p><p><br/>He was never going to touch another shadowberry for the rest of his life.</p><p><br/>“Diaval”, Maleficent said sharply, and tugged at one of his hair feathers to accentuate her point, “if it escaped your attention, I am trying very hard to make you feel better. I am not a very nurturing person. It doesn’t come easy to me, and you are not making it any easier. I am scraping at the bottom of my patience barrel as we speak. Calm down, or you are going to make yourself sick again, and I would rather that we avoid…oh, wonderful.”</p><p><br/>She was, of course, right; he was hugging the barf basket again. Miserable as a raven could get, he squinted at her stern face as she was helping him wipe his face. He’d never known that her lips could get that thin. </p><p><br/>“’m’sorry…”</p><p><br/>“Don’t be sorry; try to stay calm and drink. You need to drink. Here”, she slowly propped him up again and offered water. He tried to hold the bowl, but his hands were shaking so bad that he gave up even before Maleficent said: “Oh no, you don’t”, and rapped at his knuckles. </p><p><br/>“I think I need…a bath”, he scrunched his nose. Goodness, if he smelled this bad to himself, he could only imagine how it was for her. </p><p><br/>“Oh, you think?” she resumed her ministrations, trying to freshen him up by gently wiping his face and neck. Now she had him resting pretty much in her lap, between her legs, his head leaning back against her chest. He could feel her heartbeat there. It calmed him. </p><p><br/>“I could throw up on you like this”, he whispered tiredly. </p><p><br/>“We had that covered last night, too.”</p><p><br/>“Argh.”</p><p><br/>“Drink again. Small sips. Here.”</p><p><br/>“Don’t…” he cleared his throat to voice the thought which gnawed at his mind, “…don’t let Aurora see me like this.” </p><p><br/>There was a moment of silence before Maleficent spoke firmly: “I will not. I promise.” </p><p><br/>“Good.”</p><p><br/>“But she will come snooping soon enough. Your absence of this morning did not go unnoticed by the Moorfolk. Apparently you are quite well loved among them. They were worried for you. And so…so was I. Silly raven.” </p><p><br/>She planted a very unexpected kiss to the sweaty, filthy, smelly back of his head. </p><p><br/>“Ah, mistress, don’t…I stink.”</p><p><br/>“Dreadfully”, she confirmed matter-of-factly, and kissed him in the hair again.</p><p><br/>He thought to protest, to tell her that she didn’t have to do this, that he was not particularly lovable at the moment, but he thought the better of it. Rather, he allowed her to smooth back the ruffled feathers in his hair and pull up the blanket over his naked body and offer him a drink from her hands, and it lasted for quite some time and it was peaceful and quiet. </p><p><br/>Until Diaval started chuckling.</p><p><br/>“You have a barrel of patience?” he grinned. “Who knew? I thought it was more like…a thin plate.”</p><p><br/>“In this case, it had to be a barrel.” She drawled. “Because, ah.. I am partially to blame for your…condition.”</p><p><br/>“What are you talking about? How could it be your fault that I stuffed myself full of ripe shadowberries like a pig? You told me to stop. I knew they are intoxicating, I had them before. I am not a child. I should have known better.”</p><p><br/>“But I wasn’t exactly stopping you either.”</p><p><br/>“It isn’t your responsibility to…”</p><p><br/>“Shadowberries are magical fruit. Even the magical creatures can get intoxicated with them when they are overripe, and I should have thought that they are much more dangerous for someone who isn’t fairy. But I didn’t. I, ah...I thought it would serve you well to see what happens when you disobey me.”</p><p>She ran a hand over her tired eyes, adverting her gaze. If Diaval didn’t know better, he’d think she was ashamed. “I thought you’ll only get…tipsy. I didn’t think you would poison yourself to the brink of death.”</p><p><br/>“Oh, come on. I’m not that bad off. It’s only a hangover. And even if I were in a bad way, you could heal me…right?”</p><p><br/>The way she glared at him told him he’d just said something very stupid. </p><p><br/>“I did heal you, you fool of a bird, to the best of my abilities. This is you after you have been healed. I cannot heal poisoning as successfully, or as easily, especially that of magic origin, as I can heal injuries.”</p><p><br/>He frowned. “What would have happened to me if you hadn’t healed me?”</p><p><br/>“Do I really need to answer that question?”</p><p><br/>“Oh.” Goodness, did he feel stupid. “I’m piling up those life debts just nicely, am I not?”</p><p><br/>“Not if I am partially to blame for your predicament in the first place.”</p><p><br/>“I’m telling you, you are not…”</p><p><br/>“Yes, I am.”</p><p><br/>“I am a grown raven. Man. Person. You can’t be blamed for my mistakes.”</p><p><br/>“I see you have some fight back into you. I assume that means you are feeling better?”</p><p><br/>“I can move my head”, he said optimistically.</p><p><br/>“Here, drink more. I laced the water with willow bark infusion. It does wonders for headache.”</p><p><br/>“Heh. I thought it was sweet because it came from your hand.”</p><p><br/>“It is sweet because I sweetened it. Willow bark is bitter. But helpful.”</p><p><br/>“You seem to be needing some of it as well. You look dreadful.” She did. She was pale, her hair was let loose and in a very uncharacteristic disarray, and she had shadows under her eyes.</p><p><br/>“As opposed to the charming, fresh look you are sporting at the moment. You have blood in your eyes.” She traced the line of the veins on his hand with her talon. “We both had a difficult night.”</p><p><br/>“You didn’t have to hold a vigil for me throughout the night, mistress. You should have rested.”</p><p><br/>“Somebody had to mind that you don’t choke in your own vomit”, she said dryly. </p><p><br/>“Oh goodness.” He was never going to live this down. Also, he was never touching another berry, any kind of berry, in his life. He will stick with nuts, insects and meat. “Did I…did I say something…inappropriate…while I was…not myself?”</p><p><br/>Maleficent’s smile was disturbingly enigmatic. </p><p><br/>“Mistress?”</p><p><br/>“Nothing that I didn’t already know”, she smiled widely now. “Nothing that I didn’t like.”</p><p><br/>“<em>Mistress</em>!"</p><p><br/>“If it’s any consolation, I, too, said a thing or two that I would have rather kept for myself in any other occasion.”</p><p><br/>His bloodshot eyes went alight with hope.</p><p>“Really? What did you say?”</p><p><br/>“Let’s just say that we are both lucky that you have no memory of any of it, and keep it that way.”</p><p><br/>“Not fair”, he protested. “You know everything, and I know nothing.”</p><p><br/>“Stop complaining”, she said haughtily. “I saved your life.”</p><p><br/>He blinked, then started to laugh earnestly. It made his head hurt more, but no longer unbearably so, and her well-aimed throwback was worth it. More so because she, too, was chuckling softly, and every rare occurrence in which he could hear her laughter was something to cherish. </p><p><br/>“Seventeen years”, she whispered. “Seventeen years, and you have still not ran away from me, like any sane person would.”</p><p><br/>“Seventeen years, and you are still tolerating this common raven in your nest.”</p><p><br/>“Seventeen years, and you are still making my nest a warm, happy place, where it used to be cold and lonely.”</p><p><br/>“Seventeen years, and you are still saving my life.”</p><p><br/>“Seventeen years, and you are still bringing me treats every morning.”</p><p><br/>“Seventeen years, and you are still accepting them, even though you must be sick of them by now.”</p><p><br/>“Seventeen years, and there is nothing else I would rather start my day with. Even if I would sometimes advise some diversity.”</p><p><br/>“Well, seventeen years and you still refuse to see the appeal of a nice, crunchy beetle, or a juicy worm. A raven can only do so much.”</p><p><br/>“After seventeen years, I know that this raven can do anything he sets his mind to. Except resisting a potentially fatal snack.”</p><p><br/>“After seventeen years, this old raven finally lived to have a breakfast brought to bed to him. I might get used to it, you know.”</p><p><br/>“If that means you are going to get yourself in this kind of state every time you feel the need to be pampered, I would rather that you do not. Otherwise, next time, I’ll just leave you in Balthasar’s care.” She squinted suspiciously at him. “You didn’t poison yourself deliberately so that I would spend my whole night and day fussing over you, did you now?”</p><p><br/>“What? No! How can you even think that  of me?” he paused. “Not a bad idea, though. Why didn’t I think of that myself?”</p><p><br/>She tugged sharply on a tuft of feathers above his ear, and he let out a yelping laugh.</p><p><br/>“Since you obviously feel well enough to annoy me, perhaps you could be left alone for a little while. I was about to make us some chamomile tea when I heard you were waking up. I trust you are not going to make some reckless attempt of getting up by yourself until I return?”</p><p><br/>“But I feel much better now, truly. I believe I might try to go wash myself”, he leaned away from Maleficent’s comforting embrace, not without regret, and made a careful attempt of getting to his feet again. Leaning on Maleficent, he succeeded. She encircled him with her wings to steady him when his head started spinning and he staggered. </p><p><br/>“Get back down, silly bird. You are not ready yet.”</p><p><br/>He had no choice but admitting defeat. He obeyed, pouting. She offered him a barf basket with a resigned expression, but he didn’t need it. The nausea wasn’t that bad anymore, but the dizziness was.</p><p><br/>“And if you turn me back to my raven form? It would be easier for me to get clean.”</p><p><br/>“I would prefer you in a form in which you can tell me if you start feeling unwell for the time being. Also, smaller the body, more dangerous the shadowberry spirit is. I would not risk it.”</p><p><br/>“A dragon, then?” he asked hopefully. </p><p><br/>She looked him murderously. “Yes, that is exactly what I need to deal with at the moment. A flame-vomiting dragon with vertigo. A brilliant idea.”</p><p><br/>He pulled the blanket up over himself. He normally had no issues being naked, but now he felt very vulnerable, and wished that he at least had his trousers on. He assumed that Maleficent had stripped him down for hygienic purposes, and he was too embarrassed to ask for details.</p><p><br/>“I am going to brew us some tea”, Maleficent said. “Do you need anything at the moment?”</p><p><br/>“A bath”, he grumbled.</p><p><br/>“That you do, but you need to be able to walk first. The tea might help. When I’m certain that you are well enough that I won’t have to save you from drowning, you can wash yourself down at the watering hole. This place is in dire need of some airing, too.”</p><p><br/>“Where is Aurora? I hope she’s busy enough that she won’t notice I’m not around.”</p><p>Goodness, how one stupid, reckless act affected all around him. It was shameful enough that his mistress had to not only witness his utter humiliation, but also lose a night and day caring for him. But only imagining their fledgling in her place, imagining Aurora seeing him in such state, was a thousand times worse. No child should ever see their…closest thing to a father they had…in such a shameful position.</p><p><br/>“Diaval”, Maleficent said with a careful note to her voice, “Aurora knows that you are not around, because the entirety of the Moors noticed you were not around this morning for your usual activities.”</p><p><br/>His eyes widened in horror. “What? But you promised -“</p><p><br/>“I promised that I would not let her see you in this condition, and I didn’t. Let it be noted that I spoke to her early this morning, while you were still getting your beauty sleep, and I hadn’t made any promises yet at the time, but I assumed you wouldn’t want her to witness your…state of health. I told her nothing; she came running herself when she heard from other Moorfolk that you were nowhere to be seen and that I was collecting medicinal herbs at the crack of dawn. She put two and two together.”</p><p><br/>“Oh, by my wings! How much does she…what did you…”</p><p><br/>“This is exactly why I was reluctant to tell you!” Maleficent snapped. “She only knows you are ill. So does everybody else. I sent everybody away, Aurora included. I told her that you are not up to visits and that you are not to be disturbed under any circumstances.”</p><p><br/>“What did she say?” Diaval’s hands tugged frantically at his cover. </p><p><br/>“She said that she would be at her throne and await for me to let her know how are you doing as soon as possible. Many of the Moorfolk have joined her, I believe. For some unfathomable reason, they seem to be upset over your fate. They will have to wait a little while longer, I’m afraid.”</p><p><br/>“I cannot let the poor hatchling wait!” Diaval despaired. “I am fine now, mistress, truly; if I move slowly, maybe I could walk to the watering hole and get –“</p><p><br/>“<em>Diaval</em>”, Maleficent let out an exasperated sigh. From another corner of their room made of the living, thickly set branches of the rowan tree, she produced a mirror and shoved it into Diaval’s face. “Look at yourself.”</p><p><br/>He gasped. The face in the mirror was almost unrecognizable. He was pallid, his lips were of a sickly, greyish color, his cheeks were sunken and there were bluish shadows under his eyes, but it was the eyes themselves that horrified him the most. The capillaries in them have obviously burst from straining, and the blood had spilled over the whites of the eyes, making them appear like monstrous, living wells of blood and darkness. If he would ever meet a person looking like that, he would take his business elsewhere very quickly.</p><p><br/>“Oh my…” </p><p><br/>He couldn’t finish the sentence. </p><p><br/>How was he going to meet Aurora like this? The fledgling will be horrified.</p><p><br/>“You lost a lot of water from your body. You will look much better when you replenish it”, Maleficent said in an even voice. “As for your eyes, they might take some time to clear up. Maybe a month.”</p><p><br/>“A whole month?” he moaned miserably. “A whole <em>month</em>?”</p><p><br/>“Oh, don’t fret over such a minor inconvenience, vain bird. If that bothers you that much, I can keep you mostly in your raven form. It won’t be so obvious.”</p><p><br/>“I fail to understand how you can heal other injuries, but not a few tiny bruises.” </p><p><br/>“And you are complaining again.”</p><p><br/>“I simply wish to know”, he pouted.</p><p><br/>“Well, if you find my efforts at healing your self-inflicted, almost fatal poisoning inadequate, perhaps next time I’ll just leave you to reap what you sow. Natural selection at its finest. Perhaps I shouldn’t have interfered.”</p><p><br/>“All right, all right”, he grumbled, rubbing his eyes in frustration. “I am sorry. I truly am. I am being ungrateful, and…and you lost a night and a day caring for me, and such ugly, disgusting things you had to put up with for me, and now you are tired and…I am such a burden, you don’t even have any real need for me, and you would be within rights to send me away from - ”</p><p><br/>“If this is some pitiful attempt at making me feel sorry for you, I’ll have you know it is not working”, she cut him off.</p><p><br/>“Ah. Hmpf. Well, it was worth a try.”</p><p><br/>“Consider this an opportunity to learn a valuable lesson in life.”</p><p><br/>“Yes. Never take that seventh helping”, he moaned under his breath.</p><p><br/>She tugged at his feathers again. “I was thinking more along the lines of ‘<em>always listen to your mistress’.”</em></p><p><br/>“Weren’t you about to make some tea?” he covered himself over his head and spoke under the blanket, a defeated tone in his muffled voice. He’d lost this particular battle of wits. But there will be an opportunity for a rematch sooner rather than later, he knew. With Maleficent, verbal sparring was never a rare occurrence. And oh, how he loved that.</p><p><br/>“I was.” She chuckled, gloating just a little bit, and stood up. He could hear some of her joints cracking as she stretched. She knew she was victorious, of course.</p><p><br/>“Mistress…” he peaked with one bloodied eye from under the cover. “…thank you. Truly, thank you.”</p><p><br/>She looked as if she had a snarky retort ready, but decided not to kick him when he was literally and metaphorically on the ground. And he was being sincere. </p><p><br/>“You are welcome.” She paused. “You would have done the same for me.”</p><p><br/>He couldn’t argue that.</p><p><br/>She turned to leave him in order to brew their tea when he called: “Mistress?”</p><p><br/>She turned around.</p><p><br/>“I do love hazelnuts”, he smiled warmly and reached for the bowl she had provided. He put one in his mouth and chewed, hoping it would stay down.</p><p><br/>Maleficent’s head tilted up very slightly, a subtlest tug of smile at the corner of her lips, and Diaval knew she was proud of herself, seeing that he appreciated her effort.</p><p><br/>“Don’t mention it”, she said, in an aloof manner. “It’s just a little morning snack.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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